Commentary

China Watch

Forum Digests

Columnists

Letters

Internet credibility

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-06 08:03

The Internet has become part of our lives.

Its convenience and wide availability make it the most popular media form. China has a total of 206 million Internet users, according to statistics. And 42.3 percent have their own blogs, and 65.7 percent have either uploaded text, photographs, music or videos onto the Internet.

The more we rely on this virtual means for information, the more credible the Internet should be. But sometimes that is only wishful thinking.

Different from the traditional print media, radio and television stations, the Internet is much more open to individuals. This is its biggest advantage but makes it far more difficult to manage.

It has become the fastest and most convenient means of media, but at the same time a popular grapevine.

Little wonder that the lack of credibility and moral integrity on the part of some information releasers and Internet users has become the central topic for discussion at the current China Internet Media Forum in Chongqing.

One of the most recent examples is the rumor about a model bus conductress in Beijing. She became famous for her outstanding service to passengers. But it was reported on the Internet that she had been arrested for taking bribes.

Repeated occurrence of such online lies or rumors reduces the Internet, to some extent, to a cafeteria, where customers gossip about their neighbors or their colleagues.

Two people chatting privately online is acceptable, but it becomes a problem when such chatter is published by press portals as news.

According to a recent survey, more than 35 percent of the respondents were not satisfied with the credibility of what is carried on the Internet.

Of course, we can hardly expect all Internet users to have sound morals and abide by the rules by not uploading rumors or unhealthy information such as pornographic pictures or text. But we do expect Internet portals to act as watchdogs to prevent such garbage from being published online.

However, what concerns us is the fact that some editors of press portals are not too serious about what they publish online. They usually carry sensational headlines even to very serious stories to increase hits.

Some of them do not even bother to check whether the news they get is true before publishing it. Some even deliberately publish news items they believe will attract eyeballs.

Such practices are tantamount to drinking poison to quench one's thirst. They need to realize that it will be very difficult to regain their credibility once they lose it.

It is wrong to take for granted that most Internet users are easily attracted by sensational headlines. A reader will be misled once, twice or three times, but he or she can never be misled all the time. Once Internet users are fed up with misleading headlines and rumors, these portals will inevitably have to pay the price.

(China Daily 12/06/2008 page4)